95 replies to this topic

[hindle xiii]

New England coach Steve McNamara is set to risk controversy by considering Hull's Tongan second row forward Willie Manu for the Four Nations series.

The 30-year-old Manu played for Tonga in the 2008 World Cup but now qualifies for England on residency, having moved to the United Kingdom in 2006 - initially to play for Castleford - and he was brought into McNamara's squad for a get-together in Liverpool this week.

McNamara's predecessor Tony Smith created much debate after handing Samoa-born prop Maurie Fa'asavalu a Great Britain debut in 2007.

"Willie Manu qualifies to play for England on residency and has made himself available," said an RFL spokesman.

http://www.sportingl...YL_England.html

Absolute joke.

You would thought that after picking Fasavalu the England team would have learned their lesson.

Bad news for the sport.

If this happens I wont be watching the England team.

It's just one player, one the other side what about the inclusion of Ben Jones-Bishop? Is that a joke? Keep calm and carry on dude.

[Wendall]

It's just one player, one the other side what about the inclusion of Ben Jones-Bishop? Is that a joke? Keep calm and carry on dude.

Thats a positive move, young Enlish player who has potential to be a top player.

Manu is the wrong option.

[nadera78]

taken from the englandrl website.

Chris Bridge (Warrington), Tom Briscoe (Hull FC), Kyle Eastmond (St Helens), James Graham (St Helens), Ryan Hall (Leeds), Sean O`Loughlin (Wigan), Danny McGuire (Leeds), Adrian Morley (Warrington), Jamie Peacock (Leeds), James Roby (St Helens), Nick Scruton (Bradford), Michael Shenton (Castleford), Kevin Sinfield (Leeds), Sam Tomkins (Wigan), Ben Westwood (Warrington), Shaun Lunt (Huddersfield), Kevin Brown (Huddersfield), Richard Myler (Warrington), Ryan Atkins (Warrington), Jodie Broughton (Salford), Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield), Peter Fox (Hull KR), Lee Smith (Leeds), Gareth Carvell (Warrington), Ben Harrison (Warrington), Jamie Langley (Bradford), Tony Clubb (Harlequins RL), Ben Jones-Bishop (Harlequins RL), Andy Lynch (Bradford), Joe Westerman (Castleford), Kirk Yeaman (Hull), Louie McCarthy Scarsbrook (Harlequins), Eorl Crabtree (Huddersfield), Scott Moore (St Helens), Paul Sykes (Bradford), Jon Wilkin (St Helens), Willie Manu (Hull FC).


Good to see some youngsters in there, but god only knows how Manu and any of the Bradford players got invited.

[Johnoco]

Good to see some youngsters in there, but god only knows how Manu and any of the Bradford players got invited.

Can't knock Scruton, he is worthy of inclusion.

[MrPosh]

Can't knock Scruton, he is worthy of inclusion.

As is Lynch.

Sykes is another matter though.

[RP London]

No, ludicrously, that isn't the case.

Brough played for Scotland however now wants to play for England, also Ben Harrison for Ireland.

It's a joke. Brough, Bridge and Harrison is bad enough, but an Australian who has played for Tonga 6 times now wanting to play for England just shouldn't even be entertained.

you misunderstand/i didntmake it clear..

its not playing for one then the other iunderstand that dont like it but understand it..

its about when you can change.. there was some rule about world cup cycles.. you couldnt change within a world cup cycle.. as such qualification re started at the final whistle of the last world cup, after that you played for one you couldn play for another until the final whistle of the 2013 world cup final.. stupidy you could play in that world cup final for one team then turn out for another the next day..
as such playing in 2009 would rule him out..

(i have no issue with people qualifying to play, justnot when they have played for anyone else ever IMO)

[Jeffles]

Someone get Steve Mascord on the line. Her knows all when it comes to this. I'm pretty sure if Manu players last year he'd be ruled out. This makes England look bad on two parts - first, they chose this blow-in in the first place and second, he's not eligible.

[Wendall]

Jodie Broughton (Salford)

That is a young lad who with the right coaching could go far. His try last weekend was top notch. He is also very strong near the try line.

[hindle xiii]

Thats a positive move, young Enlish player who has potential to be a top player.

Manu is the wrong option.

Having now seen the full 37-man squad (cheers nadera) then 1 wrong out of 37 is fine by me. Manu out, J Tompkins in... (...late, how apt!)

Sykes' inclusion is another dodgy one.

[hindle xiii]

Good to see some youngsters in there, but god only knows how Manu and any of the Bradford players got invited.

Because 3 of the 4 choices have been pretty damn good, and Lynch and Scruton are two of the best props around. Langley, if he picks up his early season form is a tackling machine, now I question whether those thankless grafters are required in an international squad but if they are, he's one of the best.

[hindle xiii]

Joel Tomkins is my only glaring omission.

Personally I'd also include Keith Senior, Kris Welham and Richard Horne.

[HullRover]

I don't have a problem with 90% of the squad...but

...why oh why is McNamara inviting so much ridicule and potentially damaging fallout over the selection of a 30-something, already-capped Tongan who, even on ability alone, would be nothing more than a borderline selection in a position we are not short?

And, why on earth has Joel Tompkins, arguably the best second-rower in the comp, been overlooked? Words fail me...beyond astounding!

And nobody could ever...and I mean ever...convince me that Leon Pryce isn't among the top 10 English players, yet alone the top 37! As for him being below the likes of Paul Sykes, Kirk Yeaman and Tony Clubb in the pecking order...I give up!

I was largely supportive of McNamara's appointment...but I am completely disillusioned at the moment.

[Wendall]

I don't have a problem with 90% of the squad...but

...why oh why is McNamara inviting so much ridicule and potentially damaging fallout over the selection of a 30-something, already-capped Tongan who, even on ability alone, would be nothing more than a borderline selection in a position we are not short?

And, why on earth has Joel Tompkins, arguably the best second-rower in the comp, been overlooked? Words fail me...beyond astounding!

And nobody could ever...and I mean ever...convince me that Leon Pryce isn't among the top 10 English players, yet alone the top 37! As for him being below the likes of Paul Sykes, Kirk Yeaman and Tony Clubb in the pecking order...I give up!

I was largely supportive of McNamara's appointment...but I am completely disillusioned at the moment.

Not really a suprise the Bulls got shut of McNamara when they did, he was doing more damage than good.

I think McNamara could be RL's very own version of Steve McLaren.

[sallywt]

Whilst I'm not sure that it is right for him to play for England as he has already played for another country at this level and in this sport and I'm not sure that there aren't better laternatives but I do think that there is more to being Englsh than a birth certificate. There are plenty of people in this country with an English birth certificate who do not contribute anywhere near as much as Manu both to his local community and to the state in terms of finance.

[Roy Boy]

Whilst I'm not sure that it is right for him to play for England as he has already played for another country at this level and in this sport and I'm not sure that there aren't better laternatives but I do think that there is more to being Englsh than a birth certificate. There are plenty of people in this country with an English birth certificate who do not contribute anywhere near as much as Manu both to his local community and to the state in terms of finance.

Well said - Why do we make such a fuss when the Aussies and Kiwis regularly snap up South Seas players and call them their own.

I'm not saying Manu is the right choice but that if he is eligible within the laws then why not?

[deluded pom?]

Personally I'd also include Kris Welham and Richard Horne.

One's nowhere near good enough and the other one's nowhere near the player he used to be.

[deluded pom?]

Whilst I'm not sure that it is right for him to play for England as he has already played for another country at this level and in this sport and I'm not sure that there aren't better laternatives but I do think that there is more to being Englsh than a birth certificate. There are plenty of people in this country with an English birth certificate who do not contribute anywhere near as much as Manu both to his local community and to the state in terms of finance.

Does Willie Manu do anything for his local community outside of what his Hull FC contract asks him to do? he's not English by any stretch of the imagination however you like to dress it up. He's lived here for four years and that would allow him to be selected for England if he was an uncapped player or hadn't played for Tonga since November 2008. Unfortunately he fails on all but one count. The international game is descending into a farce.

Edited by deluded pom?, 23 July 2010 - 11:54 AM.

[deluded pom?]

A Well said - Why do we make such a fuss when the Aussies and Kiwis regularly snap up South Seas players and call them their own.

B I'm not saying Manu is the right choice but that if he is eligible within the laws then why not?

A - Which South Sea Islander has played for Australia outside of the current RLIF eligibility interpretations?

B - He's not eligible within the laws.

[Johnoco]

Besides anything else, I thought he was off to Nottingham RU?

Er just remembered that was Motu Tony....

[HappyDave]

Are Ellis, Burgess & Widdop not in the squad?? Plus why has it been picked already rather than in a few months time?

Edited by HappyDave, 22 July 2010 - 06:24 PM.